1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coaxial connector with a switch, such as a receptacle type coaxial connector with a switch. The coaxial connector comprises a normally closed terminal and a common terminal whose respective contact portions contact and move apart from each other in association with the removal and insertion of a mating connector, such as a plug type coaxial connector, as a central conductor and a shell as an exterior conductor. The coaxial connector is mounted on a printed wiring board by soldering connecting portions of the normally closed terminal, the common terminal, and the shell to their respective corresponding lands on the printed wiring board.
2. Description of the Related Art
A common terminal is a type of terminal that can be alternately connected to one or more separate terminals.
A normally closed terminal is a type of terminal that, in its normal, default state, remains connected to another terminal until the normally closed terminal is disconnected from the other terminal, for example, by releasing a switch.
A conventional coaxial connector 300, 400 with a switch, as shown in FIG. 21(b) and FIG. 22(b), includes a common terminal and a normally closed terminal. When the mating connector 500 is disconnected from the conventional coaxial connector 300, 400, the normally closed terminal is in the normal, default state, and the common terminal and the normally closed terminal are connected by the switch. Upon the insertion of the mating connector 500 into the conventional coaxial connector 300, 400, the switch is released, thereby disconnecting the common terminal from the normally closed terminal.
Conventionally, a coaxial connector with a switch of this type is formed as a right angle type, in which each of the connecting portions of the normally closed terminal, the common terminal, and the shell is formed into a vertically asymmetric shape. For this reason, for a printed wiring board having a reversed layout, such as a circuit (or element) to be connected to the common terminal and a circuit (or element) to be connected to the normally closed terminal on the printed wiring board, it is necessary to prepare a separate coaxial connector with a switch having the connecting portion of the common terminal and the connecting portion of the normally closed terminal arranged inversely.
For example, given a coaxial connector 300 with a switch as the connector to be mounted in a case where an internal antenna (ANT) 101 and an RF (high-frequency) circuit 102 are laid out on a printed wiring board 100 as shown in FIG. 21(b) and FIG. 23(c), and given a coaxial connector 400 with a switch as the connector to be mounted in a case where an internal ANT 201 and an RF circuit 202 are laid out inversely on a printed wiring board 200 as shown in FIG. 22(b) and FIG. 24(c), then the arrangement of a connecting portion 301 of the normally closed terminal and a connecting portion 302 of the common terminal of the coaxial connector 300 with a switch is reversed with respect to the arrangement of a connecting portion 401 of the normally closed terminal and a connecting portion 402 of the common terminal of the coaxial connector 400 with a switch as shown in FIG. 23(b) and FIG. 24(b), respectively.
In the case shown in FIG. 21(b) and FIG. 23(c), the connecting portion 301 of the normally closed terminal and the connecting portion 302 of the common terminal of the coaxial connector 300 with a switch are placed respectively on lands 103 and 104 for the use of signals formed on the printed wiring board 100, and connecting portions 303 and 303 of the shell of the coaxial connector 300 with a switch are placed respectively on lands 105 and 105 for the use of grounding formed on the printed wiring board 100. Each connecting portion is connected to the corresponding land through soldering (not shown). The lands 103 and 104 are connected to the internal ANT 101 and the RF circuit 102 through wiring patterns 106 and 107, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 21(a) and FIG. 21(b), when a mating connector 500 is not inserted, a contact portion of the common terminal and a contact portion of the normally closed terminal of the coaxial connector 300 with a switch come in elastic contact with each other, whereby the internal ANT 101 is electrically connected to the RF circuit 102.
When the mating connector 500 is inserted, the contact between the contact portions of the normally closed terminal and the common terminal of the coaxial connector 300 with a switch is released by a contact portion of a normally open terminal (for example, a center pin) 501 of the mating connector 500, and the contact portion of the normally open terminal 501 is brought into elastic contact with the contact portion of the common terminal of the coaxial connector 300 with a switch, whereby an external ANT (not shown) connected to the end portion of a coaxial cable 600 is electrically connected to the RF circuit 102.
In short, the ANT to be connected to the RF circuit 102 is switched from the internal ANT 101 to the external ANT. When the mating connector 500 is inserted, the contact portion of a shell (grounded terminal) 502 of the mating connector 500 comes in elastic contact with the contact portion of the shell of the coaxial connector 300 with a switch, whereby an electrical connection is established there between.
In the case shown in FIG. 22(b) and FIG. 24(c), the connecting portion 402 of the common terminal and the connecting portion 401 of the normally closed terminal of the coaxial connector 400 with a switch are placed respectively on lands 204 and 203 for the use of signals formed on the printed wiring board 200, and connecting portion 403 and 403 of the shell of the coaxial connector 400 with a switch are placed respectively on lands 205 and 205 for the use of grounding formed on the printed wiring board 200. Each connecting portion is connected to the corresponding land through soldering. The lands 204 and 203 are connected to the RF circuit 202 and the internal ANT 201 through wiring patterns 207 and 206, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 22(a) and FIG. 22(b), when the mating connector 500 is not inserted, as with the case of FIG. 21(a) and FIG. 21(b), the internal ANT 201 is electrically connected to the RF circuit 202. When the mating connector 500 is inserted, as with the case of FIG. 21(a) and FIG. 21(b), the ANT to be electrically connected to the RF circuit 202 is switched from the internal ANT 201 to the external ANT.
In the conventional examples shown in FIG. 21(a) through FIG. 24(c), however, the coaxial connectors 300 and 400 with switches are formed as a right angle type, and the connecting portions 301 and 302 and the connecting portions 401 and 402 of the respective terminals and the connecting portions 303 and 303 and the connecting portions 403 and 403 of the respective shells are formed into vertically asymmetric shapes. Hence, onto the printed wiring board 100 on which the internal ANT 101 and the RF circuit 102 are laid out as shown in FIG. 23(c), of the coaxial connectors 300 and 400 with switches, only the coaxial connector 300 with a switch is allowed to mount. Conversely, onto the printed wiring board 200 on which the internal ANT 201 and the RF circuit 202 are laid out as shown in FIG. 24(c), only the other coaxial connector 400 with a switch is allowed to mount.
As has been described, when the internal ANT and the RF circuit laid out on the printed wiring board are arranged inversely, it is necessary to prepare different coaxial connectors with switches that conform to the respective printed wiring boards. This makes it impossible to use a coaxial connector with a switch commonly, which poses a problem that the manufacturing facilities are increased and so are the costs.
The invention was devised in view of the foregoing problems, and therefore, has an object to provide a coaxial connector with a switch that can be used commonly even when the internal ANT and the RF circuit laid out on the printed wiring board are arranged inversely, and therefore, can save the costs by suppressing an increase of the manufacturing facilities.
An aspect of the invention provides a coaxial connector (10) with a switch, which includes: a normally closed terminal (3) and a common terminal (4) whose respective contact portions (31)(44) come in contact with and move apart from each other in association with removal and insertion of a mating connector (9); an insulator (5) for holding the normally closed terminal (3) and the common terminal (4); and a shell (6) for holding the insulator (5) from outside, a connecting portion (33) of the normally closed terminal (3), a connecting portion (43) of the common terminal (4), and a pair of connecting portions (63)(63) of the shell (6) being protruded in a horizontal direction to be placed on corresponding lands (13, 23)(14, 24)(15, 25)(15,25) formed on a surface of a printed wiring board (1, 2) near an edge thereof, the coaxial connector (10) with a switch being mounted onto the edge of the printed wiring board (1, 2) through soldering of each connecting portion, wherein: the pair of connecting portions (63)(63) of the shell (6) are placed at horizontally symmetric positions with respect to a vertical plane (65) passing a center or nearly the center of the shell (6); the connecting portion (33) of the normally closed terminal (3) and the connecting portion (43) of the common terminal (4) are placed at horizontally symmetric positions with respect to the vertical plane (65); and a top surface and a bottom surface of each of the connecting portions (63)(63)(33)(43) are formed into vertically symmetric shapes with respect to a horizontal plane (66) passing centers or nearly the centers of the connecting portions (63)(63)(33)(43).
According to the above arrangement, the pair of connecting portions (63)(63) of the shell (6) are placed at horizontally symmetric positions with respect to the vertical plane (65) passing the center or nearly the center of the shell (6); the connecting portion (33) of the normally closed terminal (3) and the connecting portion (43) of the common terminal (4) are placed at horizontally symmetric positions with respect to the vertical plane (65); and the top surface and the bottom surface of each of the connecting portions (63)(63)(33)(43) are formed into vertically symmetric shapes with respect to the horizontal plane (66) passing the centers or nearly the centers of the connecting portions (63)(63)(33)(43). Consequently, in a case where the lands (13, 23)(14, 24)(15, 25)(15, 25) formed on the surface of the printed wiring board (1, 2) near the edge thereof are arranged inversely, the coaxial connector (10) with a switch can be mounted onto the edge of the printed wiring board (1, 2) through the reverse mounting by merely reversing the coaxial connector (10) with a switch.
In other words, in a case where the arrangement of two circuits or elements (including a case where one of them is an element or both are elements) laid out on the printed wiring board (1, 2) is reversed, for example, when the layout of an internal ANT and an RF circuit is arranged inversely, the same coaxial connector (10) with a switch can be used through the reverse mounting, which makes it possible to use the coaxial connector (10) with a switch commonly.
Another aspect of the invention provides the coaxial connector (10) with a switch according to the aspect of the invention described above, wherein a horizontal plane passing the center or nearly the center of the shell (6) is given as the horizontal plane (66), so that the heights of the coaxial connector (10) with a switch from the main surface and from the back surface of the printed wiring board (1, 2) are made almost equal when mounted.
Another aspect of the invention provides the coaxial connector (10) with a switch according to an aspect of the invention described above, wherein: the shell (6) includes a main body portion (62) allowed to engage with two kinds of notch portions (11)(21) having different shapes formed by making a notch in the edge of the printed wiring board (1, 2); the main body portion (62) includes an upper main body portion (62a) and a lower main body portion (62b) partitioned vertically at the horizontal plane (66); and one of the upper main body portion (62a) and the lower main body portion (62b) is formed into a shape allowed to engage with only one of the two kinds of notch portions (11)(21), and the other is formed into a shape allowed to engage with only the other one of the two kinds of notch portions (11)(21), so that erroneous mounting can be prevented while reducing the protrusion length from the edge of the printed wiring board (1, 2) when mounted.
Another aspect of the invention provides the coaxial connector (10) with a switch according to an aspect of the invention described above, wherein: one of the two kinds of notch portions (11)(21) is formed to have an opening width of a constant value V from an opening side to an inner side, and the other is formed to have two steps having an opening width V1 (V1 greater than V) on the opening side and an opening width V2 (V2 less than V) on the inner side; the lower main body portion (62b) is formed to have a breadth of a constant value W slightly less than V; and the upper main body portion (62a) is formed to have two steps having a breadth W2 (W2 takes a value slightly less than V2) on an engagement tip end side and a breadth W1 (W1 takes a value slightly less than V1) on an engagement rear end side, so that the outside shape of the shell (6) and the shapes of the notch portions (11)(21) can be simple.
Another aspect of the invention provides a coaxial connector (10) with a switch, which includes: a normally closed terminal (3) and a common terminal (4) whose respective contact portions (31)(44) come in contact with and move apart from each other in association with removal and insertion of a mating connector (9); an insulator (5) for holding the normally closed terminal (3) and the common terminal (4); a shell (6) for holding the insulator (5) from outside; and a housing (7) for holding the shell (6) from outside, a connecting portion (33) of the normally closed terminal (3), a connecting portion (43) of the common terminal (4), and a pair of connecting portions (63)(63) of the shell (6) being protruded in a horizontal direction to be placed on corresponding lands (13, 23)(14, 24)(15, 25)(15,25) formed on a surface of a printed wiring board (1, 2) near an edge thereof, the coaxial connector (10) with a switch being mounted onto the edge of the printed wiring board (1, 2) through soldering of each connecting portion, wherein: the pair of connecting portions (63)(63) of the shell (6) are placed at horizontally symmetric positions with respect to a vertical plane (74) passing a center or nearly the center of the housing (7); the connecting portion (33) of the normally closed terminal (3) and the connecting portion (43) of the common terminal (4) are placed at horizontally symmetric positions with respect to the vertical plane (74); and a top surface and a bottom surface of each of the connecting portions (63)(63)(33)(43) are formed into vertically symmetric shapes with respect to a horizontal plane (75) passing centers or nearly the centers of the connecting portions (63)(63)(33)(43).
According to the above arrangement, the pair of connecting portions (63)(63) of the shell (6) are placed at horizontally symmetric positions with respect to the vertical plane (74) passing the center or nearly the center of the housing (7); the connecting portion (33) of the normally closed terminal (3) and the connecting portion (43) of the common terminal (4) are placed at horizontally symmetric positions with respect to the vertical plane (74); and the top surface and the bottom surface of each of the connecting portions (63)(63)(33)(43) are formed into vertically symmetric shapes with respect to the horizontal plane (75) passing the centers or nearly the centers of the connecting portions (63)(63)(33)(43). Consequently, as with the aspect of the invention in which the lands (13, 23)(14, 24)(15, 25)(15, 25) formed on the surface of the printed wiring board (1, 2) near the edge thereof are arranged inversely, the coaxial connector (10) with a switch can be mounted onto the edge of the printed wiring board (1, 2) through the reverse mounting by merely reversing the coaxial connector (10) with a switch.
Another aspect of the invention provides the coaxial connector (10) with a switch according to the aspect of the invention described above, wherein a horizontal plane passing the center or nearly the center of the housing (7) is given as the horizontal plane (75), so that the heights of the coaxial connector (10) with a switch from the main surface and from the back surface of the printed wiring board (1, 2) are made almost equal when mounted.
Another aspect of the invention provides the coaxial connector (10) with a switch according to an aspect of the invention described above, wherein: the housing (7) includes a main body portion (72) allowed to engage with two kinds of notch portions (11)(21) having different shapes formed by making a notch in the edge of the printed wiring board (1, 2); the main body (72) includes an upper main body portion (72a) and a lower main body portion (72b) partitioned vertically at the horizontal plane (75); and one of the upper main body portion (72a) and the lower main body portion (72b) is formed into a shape allowed to engage with only one of the two kinds of notch portions (11)(21), and the other is formed into a shape allowed to engage with only the other one of the two kinds of notch portions (11)(21), so that erroneous mounting can be prevented while reducing the protrusion length from the edge of the printed wiring board (1, 2) when mounted.
Another aspect of the invention provides the coaxial connector (10) with a switch according to the aspect of the invention described above, wherein: one of the two kinds of notch portions (11)(21) is formed to have an opening width of a constant value V from an opening side to an inner side, and the other is formed to have two steps having an opening width V1 (V1 greater than V) on the opening side and an opening width V2 (V2 less than V) on the inner side; the lower main body portion (72b) is formed to have a breadth of a constant value W slightly less than V; and the upper main body portion (72a) is formed to have two steps having a breadth W2 (W2 takes a value slightly less than V2) on an engagement tip end side and a breadth W1 (W1 takes a value slightly less than V1) on an engagement rear end side, so that the shape of the housing (7) and the shapes of the notch portions (11)(21) can be simple.
Another aspect of the invention provides the coaxial connector (10) with a switch according to an aspect of the invention described above, wherein the housing (7) is provided with key slots (82 and 83a through 83e) allowed to engage with key protrusions provided to the mating connector (9), so that erroneous fitting with the mating connector (9) can be prevented.